US1964574A - Time element electroresponsivi device - Google Patents

Description

June 26, 1934.

C. HATAY TIME BLE MEN T ELECTRORESPONSIVE DEVICE Filed Aug. 25. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IO {I S) H Inventor". Charles Hobag,

His Acbor'neg.

June 26, 193.4. c. HATAY 4 1,964,574

TIME ELEMENT ELECTRORESPONSIVE DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, 19:1 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Inventor: Charles Habag,

be Climb His Atborheg.

Patented June 1934 UNITED STATES LliMJi'M run: ELEMENT mc'rnoimsronsm DEVICE Charles Hatay, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany,

asaignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application In Germany August 25,1931, Serial No. 559,330

September 5, 1930 8 Claims. (Cl. 200-97) My invention. relates to improvements in time element electroresponsive devices and more particularly time element relays for controlling electric circuits. An object of my invention is to 1 provide a comparatively simple time element electroresponsive device which is quickly and the lapse of a certain time following the instant,

of their response are frequently driven by a motor through a high ratio gearing. For further 16 service after an operation in the case of certain known constructions, it'is necessary to resetthe driven contact. For this purpose a relatively great expenditure of energy is necessary because of the high ratio transmission gearing. The con-- 20 tact member or its intermediate driving members have, therefore, previously been connected with the motor drive by'means of a detachable coupling so that the contact member could be reset alone or only with a small portion of the gearing. These detachable coupling members have, however, frequently caused trouble since with the small power available for relay purposes and with the small permissible expenditure in material and space they cannot be made to work so with certainty. These couplings also introduce more or less time error before they become effective.

These disadvantages are avoided according to my invention in that not the contact connected '86 with the time mechanism but the contact which is not driven thereby is, after each response, automatically moved away from the driven contact into the reset position. necessary for another contacting operation. This is suitably ef- 40 fected in that, upon the response of the relay-{5 th contacts are first moved the same amount from their initial position without changing their mutual positioning and that the contact which is under the influence of the time mechanism is then moved to the other contact until their engagement is effected and that the latter, upon deenergizing of the relay system, is finally returned to the initial position by suitable means. My invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings and its-scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1, 3 and I 1 4 illustrate in elevation an electroresponsive device embodying my invention, the parts being shown in the diiferent figures in different operating positions of the device and Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the device partly in section with the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 1-4 illustrate an embodiment of my invention in. an electroresponsive device, such as an electromagnet 1, including two relatively movable spaced cooperating members shown as contacts l0 and 12, means operative upon energization of the electroma'gnet quickly to move both, of the contacts a predetermined amount from an initial or rest position shown in Fig. 1 without changing their mutual positioning to the position shown in Fig. 3, means such as a motor and gear mechanism 4, 7 for then moving one of the contacts 10 relatively to the other to effect their cooperative relation which, as shown, is a circuit closing operation with the parts in position as shown in Fig. 4 andmeans, such as a spring 3, for quickly restoring "the contacts to their initial position.

In the air gap of the electromagnet l which has an exciting winding 5, an armature 2 is movably arranged. The armature 2 may comprise, as shown, two iron halves which form atttheir junction a hollow cylinder for receiving the motor rotor 4 and are held together by non-magnetic pieces 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the armature 2 has firmly secured in its cylindrical opening a non-magnetic bushing 21 which is itself rigidly connected to the casing of the gear mechanism 'l. The armature 2 and casing 7 thus firmly connected together are rotatably mounted in frames 22 and 23 which may be secured to the magnet l as shown. In the same axis of rotation is mounted the rotor 4 which, as shown, is formed as ashort-circuited cage. The shaft of the rotor 4 is connected with the shaft of the gearing 7 whose end shaft 8 transmits the movement through a friction coupling 11 to a contact arm 9 which carries the contact 10. The contact 12 is mounted for positive movement with the arclockwise movement to the attracted position,

may be limited by an adjustable stop 26. For limiting the movement of the contact arm 9,

adjustable stops 13 and 14 may be provided, as shown.

Assuming now that the parts are positioned in the initial or rest position, shown in Fig. 1. Then, when the winding 5 is energized by a current sufilcient to move the armature 2 to the attracted position, the armature, together with the contacts 10 and 12 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3 and the reluctance of the magnetic circuit becomes a minimum. The resultant magnetic field traversing the armature 2 forms the exciting field of the rotor 4. This may be provided with special short-circuiting rings 6 which are arranged on both halves of the armature 2 and serve, in a manner well known to the art, for producing a field suiiicient to start the short-circuited rotor 4'. Under this influence the rotor 4 starts and through the gear mechanism 7 sets in motion the contact arm 9 so that it moves toward the contact 12 and comes into engagement therewith after the lapse of a time dependent on the speed of the rotor, the gear ratios and the separation of the contacts 10 and 12 and the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 4. Obviously, the relay may be used wherever time delay action is desired, as for example in the control of circuit breakers and the like.

-By changing the position of the stop 14, the time element can be adjusted as desired. The friction coupling 11 between the contact arm 9 and the gear shaft 8 permits the armature 2 to take the ppsition indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 if the contact arm 9 is already held by the stop 14 so that the, angle between the arm 9 and the armature 2 is decreased with respect to the initial position. If the magnet 1 remains energized after the contact engagement, then the friction coupling 11 allows the rotor 4 to continue to run even though the contact arm '9 is firmly held. After the winding 5 has been deenergized, the spring 3 quickly retracts the armature to the initial position against the stop 25 as shown in Fig. 1 and thus brings the contact 12 into the required position for another operation.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that in place of the alternating current magnet and motor shown in the illustrated embodiment of my invention, a D. C. magnet and motor may be used. In such case leads to the direct current armature will be necessary.

The invention may be so applied that the casing of the driving motor is fixed and itself carries the short-circuited winding, then with the connection of the field winding, the rotor is set in motion and brings the contact arm 9 into connection with the contact 12. After the disconnection of the motor, the contact 12 is moved along an arc of a circle by means of a pawl mechanism or by means of a second electric motor into another operating position. After responding several times, therefore, both contacts 10 and 12 will have described a complete circle.

It is also possible that the exciting magnetic circuit of the rotor of the motor does not close in response to increase of current or voltage even under the influence of the exciting winding but that a mechanically coupled switching-in magnet is used for this purpose. This arrangement is suitable, for example, when the time element re.

lay is constructed as an overcurrent time .ele; ment relay but is to respond only on a decrease of the system voltage. In this case the mechanical switching-in may be accomplished by a potential diflerence or undervoltage magnet while the exciting fleld of the motor, is fed by the system current. The invention, besides being used with electrically driven time mechanisms, may also be used with mechanically driven time mechanisms which are set in operation by a spring motor. The spring motor, which is built into the armature 2, is in this case wound up by the movement of the armature and supplies its energy to a time element gearing, such as a clockwork or a magnetic eddy current device which, as in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, drives the contact arm ,through a friction coupling. Since the spring used as the energy storing device can only be tensioned intermittently with each response of the rotary armature, the connection of the armature with the spring may be effected through a ratchet wheel gearing.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-- 4

l. A time element electroresponsive device including two relatively movable cooperating members, means operative upon a predetermined energization of said device for quicklymoving both of said members a predetermined amount from an initial position without changing their mutual positioning and means for then moving one of the members relatively to the other to effect their cooperative relation.

2. A time element electroresponsive device including two relatively movable cooperating members, means operative upon a predetermined energization of said device ior quickly moving both of said members a predetermined amount from an initial position without changing their mutual positioning and means for then moving one of the members relatively to the other to effect their cooperative relation and means for quickly restoring said members to their initial position.

3. A time element relay including an electromagnet having an armature, a contact mounted on said armature for positive movement therewith, a spaced cooperating contact mounted for movement with said armature when the armature is moved to the attracted position, means operative when the electromagnet is energized and after the armature has been actuated to the attracted position to move said cooperating contact relatively to the armature for engagement with the contact mounted thereon and means for separating said contacts operative to restore the armature to its unattracted position when-the electromagnet is deenergized.

4. A time element relay including an electromagnet having an armature, two relatively movable spaced cooperating contacts mounted for movement with said armature, one of said contacts being positively secured to the armature, a gear mechanism for moving the other contact relatively to the contact secured to the armature, a friction coupling between said mechanism and said other contact, motor means associated with said armature operative when the electromagnet is energized and after the armature has been actuated to the attracted positionto actuate said gear mechanism whereby to move said other contact toward the contact secured to the armature to efle'ct the circuit closing operation of the contacts and resilient means tor quickly restoring said contacts to their initial positioning when the electromagnet is deenergized.

5. A time element electroresponsive device including an electromagnet having an armature. two relatively movable cooperating members mounted for movement with said armature one of means said members being positively secured to the armature and the other movable relatively thereto and both 01 said members being movable without changing their relative positioning upon movement of said armature to the attracted position, means operative when the electromagnet is energized and after the armature has been actuated to the attracted position to move said other member toward the memberpositively secured to the armature whereby to eii'ect the cooperative relation of the members and means for quickly separating said members operative to restorethe armature to its unattracted position when the electromagnet is deenergized.

6 A time element relay including an electromagnet having an armature, two relatively movable spaced cooperating contacts mounted for movement with said armature. one 0! said contacts being positively secured to the armature and the other loosely coupled theretoand both oi said contacts being movable without changing their relative positioning upon movement of said armature to the attracted position. motor means associated with said armature operative when the electromagnet is energized and after the armature has been actuated to the attracted position to move said other contact toward the contact positively secured to the armature whereby to eflect a circuit closing operation of the contacts. and

tacts being positively secured to the armature, a I

mechanism for moving the other contact relatively to the contact secured to the armature. means for coupling said mechanism and said other contact arranged to permit relative movement therebetween, means operative when the eiectromagnet is energized and the armature is in the attracted position for actuating said mechanism whereby to move said other contact relatively to the armature and means for quickly restoring said contacts to their initial positioning when the electromagnet is deenergized.

8. A time element electroresponsive device including two relatively movable cooperating members and means operative upon a predetermined Z'e'nergization of said device quickly to move both or said members a predetermined amount from an initial position without changing their mutual positioning and then to move one of the members relatively to the other to eil'ect their cooperative relation.

CHARLES HA'I'AY.

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